Supporters of farmers show their solidarity in a protest in Ahmedabad, India, on Saturday. They were aiming to march to Delhi. (AJIT SOLANKI / AP)

Indian farmers camping outside the capital New Delhi in protest against farm laws have scheduled Tuesday for renewed dialogue with government representatives.

The decision to resume talks was taken by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (Joint Farmers' Front), an umbrella body of 40 farmer unions protesting at various Delhi border points against three farm laws enacted in September, but the government has indicated no sign of backing down.

"We propose to hold another round of talks with the Centre (central government) on Dec 29 at 11 am," said Yogendra Yadav, president of Swaraj India, a political party supporting the farmers' demands. "The first two points in our agenda for talks are: modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and a mechanism and procedure to (introduce a) law for providing a legal guarantee on MSP (minimum support price)."

The first two points in our agenda for talks are: modalities to repeal the three farm laws, and a mechanism and procedure to (introduce a) law for providing a legal guarantee on MSP (minimum support price).

Yogendra Yadav, president of Swaraj India, a political party supporting the farmers' demands

The three farm laws passed by the country's parliament are the Farmers' Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act 2020.

Five rounds of talks have taken place between the protesting unions and the government but a stalemate has continued, with farmers refusing to accept anything less than the repeal of the laws, which they fear would leave them at the mercy of companies by weakening rural markets and MSP systems.

Thousands of farmers have been camping on various major highways on the outskirts of Delhi since Nov 26 demanding immediate repeal of the three laws and a legal guarantee on the MSP.

If the government does not talk of repealing these laws during their proposed talks on Tuesday, the farmers would hold a "tractor march" in a border area between Delhi and the state of Haryana on Wednesday, the farmer unions said on Saturday.

Financial assistance

At a virtual event on Friday, which marks the birth anniversary of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, the present Prime Minister Narendra Modi transferred more than 180 billion rupees (US$2.44 billion) to more than 90 million farmers, the latest tranche of funds under a scheme set up in February last year to provide direct financial assistance to small and marginal farmers.

In an interaction with farmers of six states at the event, Modi targeted the Opposition for "pushing a political agenda" over the new farm laws. "Some people are spreading myths and lies that land will be taken away if farmers enter into contract farming," he said.

The interaction was part of a massive outreach program initiated by the Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJPIndia's leading party－at a time when the talks have hit an impasse over the farm legislation, which has drawn hundreds of thousands of farmers from neighboring states to protest at Delhi's borders for a month now.

Modi said an overwhelming number of farmers across India have welcomed the new laws and are already reaping the benefits, and he cited the BJP's victory in recent village council elections in which farmers were the key voters and including areas surrounding protest sites.

"Despite that, farmers across the country have wholehearted welcome agriculture reforms," Modi said. "I assure you that I will not let you down."

Only farmers in Haryana and Punjab are protesting, he said.

A farmer leader rejected this assertion, saying this kind of language "was not right to create a good environment for talks".

The writer is a freelancer for China Daily.